CUERA^'T. 



195 



Ril)es rubrum.. — Red Currant. — Stems straggling or 

 reclined ; leaves somewhat heart-shaped, obtusely three 

 to five-lobed, downy beneath when young ; racemes from 

 lateral buds distinct from the leaf buds, drooping ; calyx 

 flat, greenish or purplish; fruit globose, smooth, red. In 

 cold, damp woods and bogs from New England to Oregon. 

 Native of Europe, and probably the same species as our 

 common Red and White Currants of the gardens. 



Ribes aureum. — Missouri Currant. — Stems very strong, 

 erect, with light colored bark ; leaves deeply and irregu- 

 larly lobed, usually more or less toothed; flowers yellow, 

 in clusters or short racemes ; fruit large, globular, black, 

 violet or deep yellow. Native of our Northwestern 

 States and Territories. 



Ribes Sanguineum.— Red Flowering Currant. — Native 

 of the Rocky Mountains and California. Cultivated for 

 ornament. Fruit more or less insipid ; not valuable as an 

 edible fruit. 



Ribes nigrum.— Black Currant. — Leaves three to five- 

 lobed ; racemes loose ; flowers greenish-white ; calyx often 

 of a rich brownish color ; berries globular, smooth, black ; 

 leaves and fruit strongly scented. Native of Northern 

 Europe, even to the sub- Alpine regions of Siberia. 



Many other species of Currants are known, but as we 

 have no varieties of them cultivated for their fruit, I have 

 not thought it advisable to describe them. Those species 

 found in Mexico, Chili, Straits of Magellan, and other 

 Southern countries, would probably not be hardy in the 

 United States. 



. HISTORY. 



The species of the Currant, from Avhich our cultivated 

 Varieties originated, are probably native of Northern Eu- 

 rope, as we do not find them mentioned by any of the old 

 Greek or Roman writers, who were generally so pailicu- 

 iSar to name every fruit known in their day. 



